Steam-blast cleaner for boiler-flues.



l. M. SHEA.

'STEAM BLAST CLEANER FOR BOILER FLUES.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.4. 1916.

A Patented May 22, 1917.

JOHN M. `SHEA., 0F SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

STM-BLAST CLEANER FOR BOILER-FLUES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

'Application led August 4, 1916. Serial No. 113,075.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. SHEA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and use-ful Improvements in Steam-Blast Cleaners for Boiler-Flues, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a steam Hue cleaner Jfor fire tubes of boilers which shall draw in the hot gases from tubes adjacent to the one being cleaned thereby preventing condensation of the cleaning steam which usually occurs when air is drawn into the tube or Hue by the blast of steam.

Other advantageous features of the invention will appear durin the description of the device embodying t e invention and its mode of use.

The invention therefore consists in the structure Aot' parts and in their combination substantially as herein setforth and claimed.

In 'the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification Figure 1 shows a central longitudinal section through the improved blast nozzle taken in the plane indicated on Fig. 2 by the line 1-1, a group of Hues and 'their Hue sheetbeing indicated in dotted lines in both said figures to better illustrate the use of the invention. Fig. 2

is a front elevation and Fig. 3 a rear elevay tion of the blast nozzle. Fig. 4 is a plan of the sand controlling valve. Fig. 5 is a partially sectionized elevation of a footvalve for use on the sand hose and Fig. 6 is a transverse section thereof on the line 6-6 F ig. 5.

The invention contemplates also the .use of sand with the steam blast that the cleaning may be more effective and rapid. In the drawings therefore the blast tube of the cleaning nozzle is represented at 8, the pipe leading steam thereto is seen at 9, the sand pipe at 10, the sand inlet at 11, the sand valve at 12, the air inlet for assisting the How of sand at 13 and a. regulating valve for the air a't 14. l Y

At the rear end of the tube 8 pro]ects an air shield 15 at right angles to the axis of the nozzle. tube are radial wings 16, preferably three suitably tapered, for centering the nozzle in the boiler Hues. Upon said shield and preferably at the base of said wmgs are spacing ribs 17 which rest against the ends Also on jthe sides of the blast' of the boiler Hues sheet 19.

The shield 15 may be extended -to any desired area suHicient to insure that the blast of steam through tube 8 shall draw in hot gases from the Hues adjacent to that in which the nozzle is working. The spacing ribs 17 provide passages for said gases between 'the shield 15 and the ends of the Hues. The provision for drawing in a preponderance of hot gases precludes to -a great degree the condensation of the working steam.

With the device described may also be associated a sand feeding adjunct of any practical form. The one shown in the drawings has its pipe 10 secured in the shield 15 above 'the tube 8 its inner end reaching to that of tube 8 and there cut away at the upper side and the lower side expanded to drop the sand into the steam issuing from the nozzle. Any suitable valve for con- 'trolling the sand maybe used. The sliding 18 Hanged against the Hue disk 12 here shown is placed across the pipe 11 and the stem 2O protrudes forward through the shield 15 so that it may abut against the Hue sheet 19 or the end of a Hue 18 when the nozzle is inserted in a Hue. When the nozzle is removed the valve is closed by a spring about its stem 20 as seen in Fig. 1.

The amount of air entering the inlet 13 to aid in the How of sand may be controlled in any suitable way as for instance bythe valve 14 in said inlet the position of which may be determined by the crank or handle 21. I

The sand may be supplied to the inlet 11 from a hopper or any convenient holder or it may be fed to the inlet by a hose attached thereto. Such hose is indicated at 22 and in Fig. 5 is shown provided with a foot valve consisting of a piece of pipe 23 open at its lower end and also provided with a lateral opening 24 near the lower end. Extending upwardly from said opening 24 is a duct 25 on the side of the pipe 23 through which air may pass to assist in the How of sand through the hose and to clear sand away from 'the opening 24 should it become clogged. The foot valve kbeing laid in the container sand. air to assist in the How thereof through the hose, will enter the lower end of pipe 23. l

The interior of the nozzle converges forward and the outlet diverges as seen at 26. Thus a greater diHusion of 'the cleaning blast is obtained and cleaning accelerated. Obviouslv compressed air may be used in the place of stealn if desired.

The invention claimed is:

' 1. A blast nozzle provided With centering means and having an extended air shield at its rear end for the purpose set forth.

2. A blast nozzle 'provided with centering Wings and having an extended air shield at its rear end and spacingT ribs on said shield for the purpose specified.

3. A blast nozzle for cleaning the lues of steam boilers consisting of a central tube, an extended flange at the rear end of said tube forming.;r an air shield for the purpose specified, centering means for the nozzle, spacing ribs on the inner face of said shield, a sand supply pipe secured in said shield and provided with valve-controlled air inlet and with a sand Valve.

4. A foot valve for a sand blast nozzle consisting of a Dipe open at its lower end and provided with a lateral opening near said end and an air duct leading along the side of said pipe to said lateral opening for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofldiave afliXed my signature. i

JOHN M. SHEA. 

